


you live close to my heart but are just a hand too far

by Gemini_Baby



Series: January Prompt Event 2021 [4]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Arkham Breakout, Bonding, Concussions, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Gen, Hurt Damian Wayne, Hurt Dick Grayson, Injury, POV Dick Grayson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28553553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemini_Baby/pseuds/Gemini_Baby
Summary: Dick and Damian had been out on their bonding night. Dick had taken the boy to the arcade. A couple of hours had passed. Dick had plans to take the kid to have ice cream later. They had just left the arcade when they had gotten the signal that they were needed.OR: Dick and Damian had wanted to spend time together, an Arkham Breakout meddling and destroying their plans was not it.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne
Series: January Prompt Event 2021 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2087832
Comments: 3
Kudos: 59
Collections: Bat Family 18+ Discord Server January Prompt Event





	you live close to my heart but are just a hand too far

**Author's Note:**

> Written using the day 4 prompt, "Don't leave me"

Dick and Damian had been out on their bonding night. Dick had taken the boy to the arcade. A couple of hours had passed. Dick had plans to take the kid to have ice cream later. They had just left the arcade when they had gotten the signal that they were needed. Dick had not been happy. He had explicitly told them earlier that he and Damian would be taking the day off and needed off from patrol. He had been ready to say no. But the situation had been bad. All hands on deck were needed. He sighed. Damian and he reached the Cave and changed.

He knew the situation had been bad.

But the situation here was  _ bad. _

Arkham breakout was never good news. It always meant stays at the medical bay for weeks and sore body for months. 

For how much all these rogues hate each other, they sure don’t forget to team up to throw a party every year by causing a lot of damage and beating up the vigilantes.

The rogues, this time, had closed the paths from where one could enter the city. They had something up their sleeves and hadn’t revealed it yet. The feeling of unease had been growing by the second.

Dick didn’t even live in Gotham. But here he was stuck because he had been visiting the city this week.

There were too many of the rogues. And then there were the civilians who were entirely a different story. One thing was very clear: Gotham’s civilians were  _ not _ civil.

This time, they had blown the asylum leaving no place to contain them when the vigilantes and the GCPD would have them under arrest. This time, they had something long term planned. And they all weren’t prepared enough for it.

The first half of the fight isn’t gruesome. It is exhausting. They all also have to be careful about saving the hostages and not letting the civilians get harmed. There was spring festival season and that meant too many late-night parties, gatherings and heavy traffic at Gotham roads during this time.

Nightwing and Robin were faring well in their respective share of villains they had taken. Another explosion went off. How many explosions were still left? So much for just an arcade and ice cream night.

Another explosion went off near them. Then, there was rubble everywhere. 

Nightwing was able to avoid the rubble. He looked where Robin had been busy with Scarecrow previously. He had also managed to avoid it.

Dick was glad that his kid was unharmed. Robin had been looking over at Nightwing’s side just like Dick had been with the kid’s. The kid then visibly relaxed. He started to approach Nightwing. He had hardly taken a couple of steps, he winced. His face screamed agony.  _ And he wasn’t moving _ . 

Damian’s spine had jammed then. The expression on the kid’s face was of extreme pain. 

Robin was  _ hurt. _

Nightwing ran towards the kid. He started to stride towards his partner when explosion stronger than any of the previous ones went off from behind his side of the building. Then there was darkness, weight, rubble, and it hurt to breathe.

When he opened his eyes and got a feeling in his body back, he winced. His right knee was throbbing and his side ached. It was hard to inhale and breathing was a torture in itself. His head also throbbed. What part of his body didn’t throb was numb and devoid of feel.

His eyes felt heavy. He could feel his eyelids drooping low.

It would be nice to sleep. He was so sore. Some rest sounded good...

“Nightwing”, a voice cut through Dick’s plan to rest.

He tried opening his eyes again. Tracking back where the voice came from while he was stuck here was somewhat of a challenge. He squinted as harsh light didn’t shy away from assaulting his eyes. He found the source of the voice.

“Robin?”

Robin. Robin was lying on his stomach some distance away from hi. He was still. Dick couldn’t get a good look at his face. But the kid looked not fine.

Dick felt guilty that he forgot Robin’s spine had jammed earlier. Then he had gotten distracted with his partner’s pain and the explosion had caught him off-guard. The explosion had also thrown Robin away from him. Robin couldn’t move from where he was.

Dick longed to reach Robin but he couldn’t. His leg was screaming and he just wanted to stop feeling there and was also horrified by that thought because that could mean bad news if that happened.

His eyes started closing again.

“Nightwing, don’t close the eyes.”

Okay...he could do it.

He tried and succeeded for a few minutes.

The pain in his leg was getting unbearable. 

“Ri- Nightwing please”

_ Oh no. _

_ This had to be bad if Robin almost slipped the real name - first name- on the field. _

“Don’t leave me”, Robin pleaded.

Robin himself couldn’t move. Nightwing was trapped. 

They couldn’t even contact others on the comms because of the communication systems having been jammed earlier.

With him and the kid, both stuck, they couldn’t exactly help each other. 

But maybe they could try to hold out longer for each other.

Help  _ would _ come.

Nightwing just needed to keep his eyes open. Closing them could also mean letting Robin go.

And in no way was Dick losing Damian ever again.

He could do this. He could do this for Robin. Damian. His partner. His brother. His kid.

He hoped even when pained grunts from the kid pierced his heart and left an ache there deeper than the one he could feel in his own leg, in his own side.

He longed to pull Damian close to him, longed to hug him for both Damian and his sake. Wanted to tuck that hair, that soft hair under his chin so badly.

He held on to hope.

  
  
  


Maybe...maybe the help wasn’t coming after all.

No. 

He couldn’t think like that.

He couldn’t give himself into the clutches of despair.

He held on to hope a little longer.

  
  
  


A call of “Bluebird?” called his attention away from his angsting and conflict.  _ The help was here! _

He answered back.

  
  


Maybe...maybe they would be okay, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> kudos, comments, bookmarks and user subscriptions are always welcome and appreciated <3


End file.
